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Russia may send French-built warships to Kuril islands

Russia may send one or two of the warships it is buying from France to help protect the Kuril chain of islands, which are the centre of a bitter dispute with Japan.

“We do not exclude that one or possibly two Mistrals will be sent to the Pacific Fleet, including for the purpose of addressing security issues in the Kuril Islands,” Chief of Staff General Nikolai Makarov told Interfax news agency on Friday.